Magdalena Bay & Parts South
This morning we were treated to another beautiful sunrise at anchor in Magdalena Bay. We took the opportunity for one more Zodiac outing in the bay to look for gray whales. Once again, it seemed that no matter which way we turned, there was a whale, or two, or six! Often we would just float, surrounded by whales, enjoying their varying behaviors. It certainly was a delight and an honor to be in their presence. They have left us with some long lasting memories.
For the remainder of the morning and early afternoon, we retraced our steps through the Hull Canal to eventually leave the bay to the south. We passed many cow/calf pairs in the inner parts of the bay, perhaps enjoying the increased shelter that it provides. Bottlenose dolphins occasionally escorted us along the mangroves. At La Entrada (“the entrance” in Spanish, but today our exit) we had our last lingering looks at gray whales and saw many fluke-up dives.
As we left the shelter of Magdalena Bay, it was hard to tell any difference in the water. The Pacific lived up to its name. We had a lovely calm ride south. Along the way we encountered a few groups of long-beaked common dolphins. Many of them came into the ship for a ride in front of the bow. It was hard to tell who was having more fun, the dolphins being pushed effortlessly along by the pressure wave in front of our bow, or us, leaning over the rail to watch them.
In the final part of the afternoon, a stowaway was found onboard. An immature brown pelican decided that the aft deck of the National Geographic Sea Bird looked like a comfortable roost. Totally unruffled by the gathering crowd of bird watchers, our guest enjoyed his free ride until sunset.
This morning we were treated to another beautiful sunrise at anchor in Magdalena Bay. We took the opportunity for one more Zodiac outing in the bay to look for gray whales. Once again, it seemed that no matter which way we turned, there was a whale, or two, or six! Often we would just float, surrounded by whales, enjoying their varying behaviors. It certainly was a delight and an honor to be in their presence. They have left us with some long lasting memories.
For the remainder of the morning and early afternoon, we retraced our steps through the Hull Canal to eventually leave the bay to the south. We passed many cow/calf pairs in the inner parts of the bay, perhaps enjoying the increased shelter that it provides. Bottlenose dolphins occasionally escorted us along the mangroves. At La Entrada (“the entrance” in Spanish, but today our exit) we had our last lingering looks at gray whales and saw many fluke-up dives.
As we left the shelter of Magdalena Bay, it was hard to tell any difference in the water. The Pacific lived up to its name. We had a lovely calm ride south. Along the way we encountered a few groups of long-beaked common dolphins. Many of them came into the ship for a ride in front of the bow. It was hard to tell who was having more fun, the dolphins being pushed effortlessly along by the pressure wave in front of our bow, or us, leaning over the rail to watch them.
In the final part of the afternoon, a stowaway was found onboard. An immature brown pelican decided that the aft deck of the National Geographic Sea Bird looked like a comfortable roost. Totally unruffled by the gathering crowd of bird watchers, our guest enjoyed his free ride until sunset.
